Effect of working pressure on the structural and morphological properties of gold nanoparticles prepared by a dc magnetron sputtering technique

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles were prepared using the dc magnetron sputtering method at multiple argon working pressures [(0.55, 0.85, 1.1, 2.5)×10-1 mbar]. The effect of the working pressure on the microstructure and surface morphology of the deposited thin films were investigated in this work. The structural properties of the sputtered films were analyzed using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD results hinted at the presence of polycrystalline films, attributed to the different pressures. The Au nanoparticles showed FCC structures, with an average particle size of (31.25 to 97.65) nm. The nanoparticles were determined to be spherical, as per the SEM. The AFM images confirmed that the thin films are made up of spherical particles that are evenly distributed (in terms of size). The average surface roughness of the films increases alongside the film’s thickness within 70.35 – 146.7 nm